Bursting with colour: The Sikkim Flower Festival

Every year, the Sikkim International Flower Festival attracts huge crowds of wonder-struck enthusiasts -- floriculturists, tourists and those who just revel in the alluring beauty of flowers, and this includes bees and stunningly coloured butterflies that compete with the flowers for attention.

Sikkim is home to about 5,000 species of flowering plants, 515 rare orchids, 60 primula (primrose) species, 36 rhododendron species, 11 oak varieties, 23 bamboo varieties, 16 conifer species, 362 types of ferns and ferns allies, eight tree ferns, and over 424 medicinal plants. This year's flower show, which concluded February 27, was one of the most momentous events in the region.

Travel photographer MITHUN BASAK shares these captivating images from Sikkim. View more of his work on his official website.